Allegheny College Joins Northwest Pennsylvania Innovation Beehive Network with the Allegheny Center for Sustainable Development
Allegheny College, one of the nation’s oldest and most innovative four-year colleges where multidisciplinary learning breaks the conventional mold, has launched the Allegheny Center for Sustainable Development to provide sustainability research and consulting services to regional businesses and organizations. The new center is part of the Northwest Pennsylvania Innovation Beehive Network, which was established in 2014 to enhance business expansion and development in the region.
The beehive is made up of six grant- and donation-funded centers that work together to form the hive network, with each location operating in its own specialized area of expertise. The beehive centers review proposals and provide services at no charge to startup and established businesses. Along with Allegheny College, the network includes locations at the Erie County Public Library, Gannon University, Mercyhurst University, Penn State Behrend and PennWest Edinboro. Together, the network offers early-stage business advising, market research, branding and marketing, educational opportunities, and product and app development while giving undergraduate students unique career-building experiences. The network has served hundreds of entrepreneurs in the region.”
“We are thrilled to join the Northwest Pennsylvania Innovation Beehive Network and help to advance its important role in strengthening the region’s economic development and vitality,” said Allegheny President Hilary L. Link, Ph.D. “The Allegheny Center for Sustainable Development builds on the strength of our nationally recognized Environmental Science and Sustainability program, our leadership as one of the first 10 carbon-neutral campuses in the U.S., and our distinctive, interdisciplinary approach to preparing students to become creative problem-solvers.”
The Allegheny Center for Sustainable Development will engage Allegheny faculty and students in meaningful research and consulting projects. Services envisioned for the center include product and manufacturing life cycle assessments, renewable energy systems design and installation, and building energy audits. The program also plans to accept proposals in the areas of sustainable agriculture, food systems, land use, environmental protection and restoration, institutional culture and behavior, energy and public policy.
Under the supervision of faculty, students will conduct research and provide consulting services through class projects, summer internships, Senior Comprehensive Projects and other avenues. The center will be managed collaboratively by the Allegheny Lab for Innovation & Creativity (ALIC), the Environmental Science & Sustainability Department and other academic programs with sustainability-related initiatives.
“The Allegheny Center for Sustainable Development is a natural fit with the mission of the ALIC and its emphasis on empowering students to expand their horizons and connect classroom learning with technologies and partners beyond campus,” Allegheny Director of Academic Innovation Partnerships Byron Rich said. “Applied, project-based learning has long been a fundamental aspect of an Allegheny education, and we are excited for the new opportunities the center will provide for students to work with and in service to businesses and nonprofits in Northwest Pennsylvania.”
The Allegheny Lab for Innovation & Creativity (ALIC) is a technological research, fabrication and experimentation hub dedicated to developing student skillsets synthesized with their liberal arts education. ALIC-led initiatives include microgrants for students to develop their ideas for products, services, nonprofits and projects, as well as co-op courses through which area business leaders provide students with exposure to and experience with in-demand tools and technologies. ALIC facilities include a fabrication lab with 3D printers, laser cutters and a CNC/plasma cutter, along with a computer lab with design and game development equipment.
About the Northwest Pennsylvania Innovation Beehive Network
The Northwest Pennsylvania Innovation Beehive Network is dedicated to driving the growth of business development and improving the economic health of the Northwest Pennsylvania region. The Innovation Beehive Network is a collection of specialized nodes supported by and located at six institutions to provide entrepreneurs with direct service and access to the necessary resources to launch new businesses. The collaborative framework of the partnering institutions — Allegheny College, Erie County Public Library, Gannon University, Mercyhurst University, PennWest Edinboro and Penn State Erie, The Behrend College — is an ideal, efficient environment to populate the area with high-potential startups by providing the intellectual resources they need to grow and flourish.
About Allegheny College
Allegheny College, founded in 1815, is one of the nation’s oldest and most innovative four-year colleges where multidisciplinary learning breaks the conventional mold. It is one of the few colleges in the United States with a unique requirement to choose both a major and minor for graduation, to provide students with a cross-disciplinary path in the sciences and humanities for educational depth and intellectual growth. Located in Meadville, Pennsylvania, Allegheny College is one of 40 colleges featured in Loren Pope’s “Colleges That Change Lives.” In its 2022 rankings, U.S. News & World Report recognized Allegheny College in its Top 20 Schools for Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects and the Top 25 Most Innovative National Liberal Arts Colleges.